Mary Ann Carroll

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

Mary Ann Carroll was the only female painter in the art collective known as The Highwaymen, yet her contributions were immense.  As a single mother to seven (!) children in the 1970’s, she was able to support herself by selling her artwork.  To be able to make a living off the sales of one’s artwork is a great feat in any decade, but to be able to support her large family on an artist’s income is incredible.

Personally, what I love most about Carroll’s work is her use of the color orange.  Her sunset paintings are so striking, not only because of her use of a vivid orange, but also because she juxtaposes that orange with an assortment of greens in all hues.  The contrast between the orange sky of a setting sun and the fading sunlight filtering through the Florida vegetation is quite magical and captivating – you really must see her work in person!

For more information on Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen at the OMA, please visit…

https://omart.org/exhibitions/living_color_the_art_of_the_highwaymen/

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.